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13 Iconic Musicians Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II recognized many individuals with honors of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. The longest reigning monarch in British Royal history died at age 96, and during her legendary reign as Queen, she knighted a number of popular musicians.

Rod Stewart performing on stage; Queen Elizabeth II posing for a photo; Paul McCartney performing on stage.
Kerry Marshall, Paul Hackett - WPA Pool, Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II recognized many individuals with honors of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. During her legendary reign as Queen, she knighted a number of popular musicians.

Here is a brief explainer on the various levels of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Per the U.K.'s official Honours System website, the following are the five title distinctions in order of importance the British Monarchy can bestow upon individuals for their non-combative contributions to the U.K.:

-Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE): "Achievement or service in and to the community which is outstanding in its field and has delivered sustained and real impact which stands out as an example to others."

-Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE): "Distinguished regional or county-wide role in any field, through achievement or service to the community including notable practitioners known nationally."

-Commander of the British Empire (CBE): "A prominent national role of a lesser degree, a conspicuous leading role in regional affairs through achievement or service to the community, or a highly distinguished, innovative contribution in his or her area of activity."

-Damehood/Knighthood (DBE/KBE): "A pre-eminent contribution in any field of activity (usually, but not exclusively, at national level), or in a capacity which will be recognized by peer groups as inspirational and significant nationally and demonstrates sustained commitment."

-Dame/Knight Grand Cross (GBE): "Grand Cross is the highest class in many of the Orders."

Typically, the head monarch will unveil these honors as part of every New Year. Additionally, their birthday also serves as a time to unveil new additions to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. People can be nominated via a special form.

With those definitions and information in mind, here are 13 iconic musicians knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

Rod Stewart

GettyImages-613931890-1.jpgDavid Parker - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Barry Gibb

GettyImages-984353506.jpgSteve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Bob Geldof

GettyImages-452585784-1.jpgGraham Denholm/Getty Images

George Martin

GettyImages-71039067-1.jpgMichael Buckner/Getty Images

Paul McCartney

GettyImages-587145832-1.jpgMike Coppola/Getty Images

Elton John

GettyImages-1236475194-1.jpgDominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Ravi Shankar

GettyImages-2533707-1.jpgFrazer Harrison/Getty Images

Mick Jagger

GettyImages-459397586-1.jpgFiona Goodall/Getty Images

Tom Jones

GettyImages-57207416-1.jpgPool-Anwar Hussein Collection/Getty Images

Bono

GettyImages-73738685-1.jpgShowBizIreland/Getty Images

Van Morrison

GettyImages-508330922-1.jpgYui Mok - WPA Pool /Getty Images

Ray Davies

GettyImages-654024662.jpgJohn Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Ringo Starr

GettyImages-934976052.jpgJohn Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Erica Banas is a news blogger who's been covering the rock/classic rock world since 2014. The coolest event she's ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? C'mon now!) She's also well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights